Cessna Latitude completes first flight

The Citation Latitude completed its first flight on February 18. (Cessna)

Cessna has announced its new Citation Latitude mid-size business jet successfully completed its first flight at the company’s Wichita facility on February 18.

The the prototype of the nine passenger Latitude reached an altitude of 28,000 feet and airspeed of Mach 0.6 during the flight, and tested the flaps, landing gear, pressurisation systems, anti-ice capabilities, stability and control. Cessna says all systems performed as expected during the flight.

“The Latitude team (has) engineered a game-changing mid-sized jet in a very efficient and accelerated manner, using proven Cessna technologies and mature systems,” Cessna’s senior vice president of Business Jets, Brad Thress said in a statement. “The result is an aircraft with incredible operating efficiencies at an unmatched price point in this category of business jet.”

The Latitude prototype take off on its first flight. (Cessna)

The latest model of the vast Citation family features a Garmin G5000 avionics system, a flat floor with a 1.83 metre high cabin, a 4,600km range, an improved cooling system, an electrically operated door, and a lower cabin altitude.

The Latitude was launched at 2011 NBAA convention, and is due to be certified in the second quarter of 2015.